ACTT Video Clips

Below are video clips (about 30 minutes total) of actual U. S. Army AH-64A CPG collective training sessions using ACTT.

The best way to understand and appreciate ACTT is to see it in real life. In lieu of that, the following video clips were made from the ACTT Instructor Station display to give you some idea of what you can do with ACTT.

As you will see, the training is realistic, informative, and effective. The unique overview features of ACTT make it possible to simultaneously watch and evaluate both team performance and individual CPG behavior.

Note that the video clip quality is not as good as directly viewing the Instructor Station monitor. To see what the actual Instructor Station display quality is, take a look at the full resolution Screen Captures. This will give you a better understanding of what's actually displayed, and will help you better interpret the video clips.

Playback/Viewing Tips

The video clips will auto-start when selected. However, movie player controls are provided at the bottom of the player window. Use your keyboard space bar to start and stop the playback. In addition, drag the slider to select any arbitrary point in the clip, or drag it quickly to see the playback faster than realtime. Use the keyboard arrow keys to single-step any clip. Use the browser Back button to return to this video clip selection menu.

When Watching The Video Clips

Evaluate Unit tactics, techniques, and procedures. Can you tell how well the Unit is doing collectively? Can you tell what they are doing right? Can you tell what they are doing wrong?

Evaluate individual CPG performance for compatibility with the Unit. Assess individual CPG performance in terms of cockpit behavior. Are they lasing and designating properly? Are they aiming at the proper point on the target? Are they using the proper weapon?

Is everyone using proper communications? Are they really communicating accurately and informatively?

When done watching these ACTT clips, think about where else you can do the equivalent training and evaluation of team and individual performance.

ACTT After-Action-Review Video Clips

"*" Indicates edited/annotated clip

5'-03"

Clip 1 - The Big Picture*

BP - North of airfield.

Watch - A general introduction/overview of Apache Collective TSTT Training.

By video editing AAR playback sessions, a variety of displays are presented, showing some of the views that are possible when using ACTT. In addition, CPG/TSTT video of the actual training session is shown.

Gun-1 and Gun-3 are the designators. Gun-2 and Gun-4 are the remote shooters.

The video is visually annotated to help match commo audio to the various video windows. In addition, markers are displayed to help correlate DECtalk spoken switchology to a particular CPG.

Listen - In addition to team communications, pay attention to DECtalk® spoken switchology. Three different DECtalk voices are used, corresponding to three of the four CPG's that are training. See how you can both listen to individual switchology while paying attention to the big picture. Note that DECtalk gets backlogged when CPG control actuations increase.

0'-27"

Clip 2 - "Tank Spotting"

BP - West of Airfield

Watch - Start of session/battle. As planned, Gun-1 puts out a laser spot (code A) for EA/team coordination. Gun-3 finds the spot using his LST. Gun-2 does the same. Gun-4, however, has his own plans with a Hellfire and a T62 (using code D).

This shows the incentive to compete when using ACTT. Note that although Gun-4 was "cheating", he engaged the proper threat.

Listen - DECtalk speaking Gun-1 switchology.

1'-41"

Clip 3 - Serial Miscommunication*

BP - West of airfield.

Watch - Gun-3 acquires a T62 (TGT 15) south of the airfield. He then communicates to the team. Gun-4 replies that he is already engaging that threat, but, in fact, is engaging another T62 (TGT 19) at the east end of the runway. Based on this error, Gun-3 returns to sector search mode.

A few seconds after this error, Gun-2 announces that he is engaging a T72, which is, in fact, TGT 19 - yet another error caused by prior miscommunication.

Gun-3 finally returns to TGT 15, sees that it is still alive, so once again, communicates the presence of a T62. He kills it autonomously with a Hellfire, using laser code D. Note that Gun-3 will temporarily lose sight of the target when it goes behind the building (and changes direction).

Note - See Clip 4 below for a continuation of this battle but from different viewpoints.

Listen - Attempts at clear communications that were not clear after all.

DECtalk speaking Gun-1 switchology.

1'-03"

Clip 4 - Target Handover

BP - West of airfield

Watch - Gun-3 tracking in Manual LMC. Target goes behind building. Has to reacquire target when it changes direction while behind building.

Gun-1 handover TGT 26 (ZSU) to Gun-3 using LST, code A. Gun-3 kills ZSU.

Note - See Clip 3 above to see what happened earlier in this battle, but from a different viewpoint.

Listen - Gun-1 coordinates the battle. Good Gun-1 and Gun-3 communication during handover. Gun-3 reacts in a realistic way to the ZSU threat.

1'-54"

Clip 5 - Call For Fire

BP - North of airfield

Watch - Gun-1 and Gun-3 are the designators. Gun-2 and Gun-4 are the remote shooters.

Listen - Good Unit coordination. Gun-2 has two missile failures. Gun-1 therefore does autonomous engagement. He first tries gun, then rockets, and finally a Hellfire.

DECtalk is echoing Gun-1 switchology. Listen to WAS selections when he is engaging target.

1'-12"

Clip 6 - Is Gun-2 a Fat Head?*

BP - East of Airfield

Watch - Gun-1 sees a T-62 (TGT 11) near a water tank, and designates the target using laser code A. He communicates that information to Gun-2, who decides not to use his LST to acquire the target. Instead, Gun-2 aquires another T-62 (TGT 12), thinking that it is the same target.

Gun-1, assuming a good handover, then acquires TGT 12 and engages it with a Hellfire (code A). This ends up as a waste of his Hellfire, since Gun-2 has already engaged the same target with a Hellfire (code B). When Gun-1 determines what happened, he expresses frustration with a "...you fat head" response.

To be fair, TGT 12 was generated by ACTT right at the moment that Gun-1 was attempting target handover to Gun-2. But, we think that the targeting error is a result of unclear communications. So, you decide if Gun-2 is a fat head.

TGT 13 (ZSU) is then generated by ACTT. Note that the original T62 (TGT 11) is still alive and well. Gun-2, however, acquires and finally kills the original T62.

In the meantime, Gun-1 engages the ZSU. Being an excellent gunner, he also notices in his TADS view, a BMP (TGT 15) again near the water tank. He relays this information to Gun-2, with a successful handover.

Listen - Gun-1 and Gun-2 commo. Some bad and some good.

DECtalk is speaking Gun-2 switchology.

1'-58"

Clip 7 - Communications Problems

BP - North of Airfield.

Watch - AAR playback is Fast-Forwarded to where the action is.

Bottom display windows are initially toggled between Gun-1/Gun-2 and Gun-3/Gun-4 TADS views. Later, the Gun-1/Gun-2/Gun-3/Gun-4 TADS view is selected to show what each gunner saw during battle.

Gun-1 attempts to coordinate battle to prevent double fire on the same target. However, Gun-1 fires at a BMP that Gun-2 had already engaged with a missile. Gun-1 wastes a Hellfire and is ticked.

Listen - Gun-1 attempts at battle coordination. Gun-1 frustration when things don't work out as planned.

NOTE - DECtalk is speaking Gun-1 switchology. See the correlation by watching the Gun-1 TADS View and listening to DECtalk.

1'-22"

Clip 8 - Good Commo Plus ACTT Instructor Participation

BP - North of Airfield

Watch - Busy battle situation. Gun-1 has no more missiles. Gun-2 has no laser (intentionally disabled to simulate laser system NOGO). Instructor, acting as remote, launches missile for Gun-1 when requested. Good team work.

Listen - Good communications. Everyone working together. Instructor and Gun-1 coordinate remote shot.

DECtalk is monitoring Gun-1 switchology.

1:32 min

Clip 9 - Gun 1 Has a Bad Day*

BP - East of Airfield

Watch - Although Gun-1 is good, even the best can make mistakes.

Instructor, acting as scout, provides BMP (TGT 21) grid to Gun-1. Gun-1 stores the grid into his FCC using the DEK (see actual TSTT ORT video of grid entry into TGT Loc 0). Note, also, that while Gun-1 is using the DEK, that his TADS has drifted full left because he forgot to release LMC. Mistake one.

After FCC grid entry, the scout also asks for a laser code so that he can also designate the target. Gun-1 requests laser code A.

Gun-1 then attempts to slave to the stored target grid but makes a mistake. Instead of slaving to TGT-0, he slaves to TGT-1, an empty location. Mistake two.

Gun-1 then attempts to use his laser spot tracker, and manually search for the scout's code A energy. That doesn't work either, because Gun-1 changed his LST code from B to C, rather than B to A on the FCP. Mistake three. (He actioned the wrong side of the LST Code pushwheel switch.) Note the "C" next to his line-of-sight vector, indicating his LST code. Note, also, that the larger oval at the end of his LOS vector is the approximate FOV of the active LST. The LST FOV shadow is only displayed if the LST is active.

Meanwhile, Gun-2, listening to the communications, located the BMP, engaged and killed the target. Gun-1 observed the final kill with his TADS and even fired a few rounds in an attempt to help out.

Finally, this training session was selected because we happened to have video tape of Gun-1 TSTT DEK operations when errors were made.

Listen - Good communications even though poor switchology. DECtalk listening to Gun-1 switchology.

0'-56"

Clip 10 - Gun 2 - Good Multitasking

BP - East of Airfield

Watch - Gun-4, acting as scout, communicates target information to Gun-2. Scout requests laser code. Gun-2 responds laser code B. Gun-2 is busy communicating threat information about targets near a barn and hangar. Gun-1 engages one of these targets (the BMP). Gun-2 then slaves to code B and engages SA-6 being designated by scout.

Listen - Communication between Gun-4 (scout) and Gun-2.

0'-58"

Clip 11 - A Tanks Point of View

BP - North of Airfield

Watch - Target kill viewed from behind target. Gun-2 is engaging TGT-19. Gun-1 fires a Hellfire at a different target (off screen in clip). That target goes behind a hill shortly thereafter. So not to waste the missile, Gun-1 redirects her laser at TGT-19 and kills that target instead.

Note that the Behind Target view is auto-tracking, like many of the ACTT preset views. This view preset was selected to show that any viewpoint is possible (even during AAR).

Listen - Disappointment of Gun-2 getting preempted, but appropriate action by Gun-1.

DECtalk speaking Gun-2 switchology.

1'-45"

Clip 12 - Close Battle

BP - East of Airfield

Watch - Close targets, requiring proper weapon selection. Overall, good unit communications and cooperation.

Listen - Good communications.

2'-02"

Clip 13 - Good Commo

BP - North of Airfield

Watch - AAR Pause and change from overview to Gun-1/Gun-2/Gun-3/Gun-4 TADS views. Good coordination between Gun-2 and Gun-3 to prevent double fire.

Listen - ACTT AAR moding only.

1'-40"

Clip 14 - ACTT Instructor Providing Assistance

BP - North of airfield

Watch - How easy it is to see that proper sectoring is not taking place.

Listen - Instructor, obviously looking at an overview display of the engagement area, assists gunners into their proper sectors.

3'-20"

Clip 15 - Piloting

BP - N/A

Watch - Apache pilot display overview of Gun-2, Gun-3, and Gun-4, and Map View of Gun-1. Instructor moves Gun-4 to Gun-2 position, while the TSTT autopilot flies Gun-1 and Gun-3 to their BP.

This clip demonstrates independent positioning of the Apache aircraft. To get a better feel of the aircraft movement, use the slider control at the bottom of the clip movie window. Play the session back in a fast-forward mode by dragging the slider at the desired playback speed.

NOTE - To date, the ACTT instructor has acted as pilot for all aircraft. But since ACTT is scaleable, it is possible to have a dedicated pilot station for each aircraft.

Listen - Minimal but realistic communications.

3'-32"

Clip 16 - Table-Like Parallel Gunnery Overview (no audio communications)

BP - Various gunnery-like positions

Watch - FM1-140 gunnery table-like training. Most of this clip is playing at 8x FF speed. In addition, dead-time was edited out between each battle position. It is possible to do gunnery-like training using ACTT (but why do it since ACTT provides more flexible and realistic training situations?)

Listen - DECtalk AAR control commands only. No commo audio.

2'-20"

Clip 17 - Yes, ACTT is Really 3-D

BP - N/A (warm-up session prior to actual training)

Watch - Gun-4 is watching the other aircraft (TSTT's) prior to battle. Gun-3 is shooting targets. Instructor flies/moves Gun-1 and Gun-2 to BP. Gun-4 watches flight using TADS. Wingman View follows flight of Gun-1 and Gun-2. (ACTT has flexible viewing options.)

NOTE - This clip was possible because ACTT automatically records all training activity.

Listen - DECtalk monitoring Gun-3 switchology.

0'-12"

Clip 18 - So What Do They Think?

BP - N/A

Watch - End of training session. You be the judge.

Listen - Instructor stating BDA